Top Ten Countdown: The Top Ten for 2023 (part 1)

All right! What you've been waiting for — the first half of 2023's Top Ten!

No. 10 — Remember, buy local!

No. 9 — One of the advantages of two-deep leadership!

No. 8 — I like the gag, and I like the art even better.

No. 7 — I should have done the Charlie Brown thing and had the shoes and socks fly off as well. Next time!

No. 6 — Sometimes the clerk can gather a little too much information!

Come back tomorrow for the rest of the Top Ten! And have a great New Year's Eve!

 

Top Ten Countdown: The Runners Up!

These are the ones that we almost the favorites, but just missed out on being in the Top Ten. We'll call it a tie for eleventh place.

You thought Calvin had weird things in his sack lunch...

You can have your light and share it with others!

While it may have been exciting to be Paul's missionary companion, I get where this guy's coming from.

It's not all New Testament. There's this one about mom.

Moms aren't the only heroes around.

Speaking of missionaries, there's a whole spectrum of them out there...

Then we have this take on giving thanks:

And last of all for the runners-up, a question many of us have pondered:

Tomorrow: the first half of 2023's Top Ten!

Top Ten Countdown: The Sketchbook (part 2)

Now the rest of the Sketchbook Top Ten!

No. 5 — I refuse to say whether this was based on a real-life incident.

No. 4 — Another Come, Follow Me lesson taken where it shouldn't go. But then again, I have Jewish friends who have ham for Christmas.

No. 3 — Good Advice from Pres. Nelson.

No. 2 — In the tradition of Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes, a latecomer that shows promise.

And No. 1, the top of the Sketchbook for 2023 — 

Tomorrow we meet the runners-up in the Top Ten Countdown for 2023!

 

Top Ten Countdown: The Sketchbook (part 1)

In the No. 10 position, and ready for next year's Come, Follow Me curriculum: 

No. 9 — A suggestion for wards in coastal areas.

No. 8 — I think this one may wind up as a full cartoon. It's got some good potential.

No. 7 — A bit of an homage to Charlie Brown.

No. 6 — Fewer sins, shorter lines.

Tomorrow: the rest of the Sketchbook Top Ten!

Looking back

It't time for a look back on the year that was! Usually I have a couple of things from work, memes or what have you. This year we paid homage to our snowplow drivers with a takeoff on Taylor Swift with our Snowplow Eras.

One of the things that's been in the news a lot this year is artificial intelligence, or AI. I've used it a bit, more to generate suggestions or ideas rather than to generate art. I haven't used it for writing —yet — but I think there could be some good potential there if used right.

This is the first cartoon I made with an assist from AI:

The other recurring set of cartoons this year is the ongoing Disney book that I'm working on with Ryan Stoker. It should be coming out next year. Stay tuned!

With that, we start the annual countdown tomorrow! See you then!

Doing lines

How about we take a peek at one more Disney cartoon as we get ready for the annual countdown?
 

Merry Christmas!

 

What about a day off?

Do you think the reindeer ever get to take a holiday?
 

Extreme Makeover: Winter Edition

First you've gotta drop that "Marley" thing. He's just dragging you down!
 

Or the Oppenheimer tabletop kit

I was scrolling through some of my old cartoons the other day and came across this one from a decade ago. In a way it seems more timely today than it did back then!
 

Sketchbook: You could say it snowballed

The more I think about this, the more I like it. Maybe it will move on from the sketchbook!
 

It’s a busy time of year

Sometimes folks just need you to lend a hand. 

Jackpot!

You know how advertisers often say that “everyone is a winner!”? Well, that’s true with Giving Machines — everybody wins!

 

It started with Marley

It's a question I often ask myself.
 

Check it twice

Honestly, some days that’s what keeps me going!
 

Sketchbook: Trending

There’s always a bright side to everything! 

This is a bit of a throwback (haha) to my mission. Almost 90 percent of the apartments were named Samik (like the sign says), or it least so it seemed like it to me as a young, naïve missionary. The rest were named Hanil. Most people were at least polite, and I never ended up with a face plant in the dirt. 

Today’s Light the World connection is No. 13: Send a funny meme or video to a friend. 

Untangle the World

Because you can't really Light the World until it's untangled!
 

Sending in a sub

I had a cartoon queued up for today with a gag that relied on its setting of Las Vegas. Given recent events there, our editorial staff determined that it would be better to pull that cartoon for publication for the time being.

Our hearts go out yet again to the good people of Las Vegas.

In its stead, we decided to run this cartoon from the upcoming Disney book. It seems appropriate with Christmas songs blaring everywhere. Some of those can be almost as ear wormy as It's a Small World (After All)!

 

Yea, even hidden treasures

During December, I like to see if I can tie my cartoons in to the suggestions given for Light the World. I think this one can easily fall under suggestion No. 48: Help a loved one clean their home.
 

Do good margins count?

That’s always the question, isn’t it — just exactly where is that cutoff point?
 

Sketchbook: A public service announcement

Don’t leave the missionaries out in the cold! Invite them in!
 

Like those little pine tree things

I'm told that this is true. They say that after I came home from serving as a missionary in Korea, I smelled like kimchi for about three months. The new missionaries who came out? They didn't.
 

It's in the details

It's like when people slow down on the freeway when they see a policeman. Sometimes you can't be too careful!
 

Choices

We're almost done with the Disney cartoons. Then we work on the publication. It's been a fun trip so far!
 

Polar opposites

This guy's lucky. I went from a cold blizzard in Provo to Siberian winds in Korea. I didn't warm up until April.

Editor's note: This is a remake and an update of a cartoon that ran decades ago in the New Era. Yeah, it's old.
 

Sketchbook: Fresh as daisies

Still, they've got a car. Put the windows down, get a little air freshener, spend P-day cleaning and before long that used Fritos smell will vanish in the wind!
 

A mealtime miracle

It seems to me that, for missionaries, no matter how full they may claim to be after dinner, there's always room for more. Especially if it's dessert!
 

There's always that one cousin

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the U.S. For those who live elsewhere, happy Thursday! Hope it's the best one ever!

Thanks to you for checking on my cartoons. I appreciate you more than you know.

 

Be not afraid

I wonder how Mr. Shakespeare felt about gravy? I think he'd say that it's great!